


Safety

by IreneSpring



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Anxiety, Barisi Valentine's Cliché Challenge, Developing Relationship, Fluffy Ending, I didn't plan for all the angsty premises to be early on but that's what's happening, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Sonny is worried but Mike is great, prompt 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 02:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29519520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneSpring/pseuds/IreneSpring
Summary: Rafael leaves Sonny a flower on his desk, accidentally forcing Sonny to disclose their relationship.Prompt: "I've got a secret admirer."
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53
Collections: Barisi Valentine’s Cliché Challenge





	Safety

**Author's Note:**

> I really have to learn how to write better summaries. The only summary I've written that I've actually liked is my C.J./Danny breakup songfic and that one was literally just strategically quoting a song lyric. Oh well.
> 
> This prompt also marks that I'm more than halfway through the prompts! They'll all be done by the end of February, per the challenge rules.

Sonny sighs when he sees the daisy left on his desk. Rafael is getting careless. He’s lucky that no one caught him in the process of actually gifting the flower. They barely survived Valentine’s Day without getting caught by the squad, and that was mainly due to Rafael’s distaste for the day itself. Rafael is ready to disclose. They've reached the part of their relationship where they really should disclose. But Sonny is reticent. 

It’s not that he’s ashamed to say Rafael is his boyfriend, it’s not that at all. If it was disclosed to anyone other than the precinct and/or his parents, he would gladly shout it through a megaphone. 

Unfortunately for him, it is the squad.

And the Sergeant is new. Sonny likes Dodds, but he knows to be wary around people associated with the ‘Old Boys Club.’ And while Dodds has been nothing but kind, if it turns out he doesn’t want to work with a gay man, all it takes is one word to his father and Sonny’s begging the Bronx captain for one more chance. Even Liv wouldn’t be able to protect him.

It’s happened to him before.

There’s no way for Rafael to know that, so Sonny isn’t angry about the daisy. Mainly he’s just nervous. Nervous and happy. Because Rafael left him a flower. That is the kind of sweet gesture Sonny did not expect from him this early on. Or at all. Sonny walks over to his desk and hopes that he can take the flower without anyone noticing. Then he can find an excuse to go over to the DA’s office to thank Rafael and maybe help him with a motion. That would be nice.

Unfortunately for him, he is never that lucky.

“Hey Carisi, I think someone left you a present!” he hears Rollins call and he cringes. She wasn’t subtle. And he’s out to everyone at the squad except Dodds. If she isn’t careful-

“Oh, Carisi, that’s cute. Are you seeing anyone?” Dodds asks, with what Sonny honestly thinks is a genuine smile. 

“Uh-”

“Who’s the lucky lady?” Dodds continues, taking his relative silence for confirmation. Sonny looks away, but he looks right at Rollins, silently pleading with her to not out him. Rollins seems to understand. She stays quiet.

“Uh, no one. I’ve got a secret admirer,” he says with an awkward laugh. He reaches over and hastily (but carefully) pockets the daisy. 

“Any chance that secret admirer is Barba?” Rollins asks with a sly grin. Dammit Rollins. He thought he had managed to communicate telepathically but apparently not.

“I-”

“The ADA?” Dodds asks.

“Yeah,” Rollins says with a good-natured laugh. Sonny desperately tries to think of an escape plan. None pop into his head.  _ The only way out is through _ . He sets his jaw, makes direct eye contact with Dodds, and takes a deep breath.

“Yeah, it’s Barba. He and I are dating.” Rollins lets out a cackle and Dodds just raises his eyebrows. 

“It’s about time, Carisi! I swear you’ve been pining over him for like a year,” Rollins says, and Sonny gives her a small smile. He waits for her to have her fun, something about how she didn’t think Barba would let Sonny into whatever baroque palace he calls an apartment, but his mind is elsewhere. Finally, when the conversation starts winding down, Dodds taps him on the shoulder.

“Hey, Carisi, can I talk to you for a second?” he asks. He looks nervous. Oh no.

_ Shit. Shit. Shit.  _

Rafael would visit him in the Bronx, right? He knows Rafael grew up there. In that Rafael told him ‘I grew up in the Bronx’ during the getting-to-know-you date and then refused to elaborate or mention his childhood ever again. Rafael probably hates it there. Rafael would never go visit Sonny. Or maybe he would. He did get Sonny that teddy bear.  _ Yeah, because he wouldn’t spend a whole $8 on someone he didn’t  _ really  _ care about _ , Sonny snarks to himself. 

It’s over. His relationship, the place he built for himself in Manhattan, everything. All of his anxieties are bubbling to the surface and he can’t take his eyes off the fucking ground even though he can feel Dodds looking at him-

“I’m sorry for putting you on the spot back there. And also for assuming the gender of your partner. That wasn’t cool. I feel like that could contribute to the whole heteronormativity thing too. So yeah, I’m sorry, and I’m glad you have someone. Uh, I hope everything works out.” Sonny stares at him. Sonny wants to cry. Sonny wants to hug Dodds. 

He’s safe. He gets to keep his job. His friends. His relationship with Rafael.

“Thank you,” he says simply. Dodds nods and walks away. Just like that. It’s done. The whole squad knows. And they’re fine. 

He’s safe.

Sonny doesn’t ask for permission, he just gets to DA’s office as fast as he possibly can. Upon receiving confirmation that Rafael is alone in his office, he bursts in.

“Sonny?” Rafael asks. “Is everything okay?” Sonny is so happy to see him, and he looks so good. Sonny runs up to him, takes Rafael’s face in his hands, and kisses him deeply. When he pulls away, Rafael is smiling.

“We should disclose,” Sonny says.

“I thought you didn’t want to.”

“I was wrong. We should.”

“Okay.” It’s that simple. Rafael reaches into his desk and pulls out forms that were clearly near the top. 

Sonny signs them with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Yet another prompt with an angsty premise without any hardcore angst. But it seemed unfair to only do that style with Rafael.
> 
> I promise next prompt will a) be a lot longer, and b) actually have some honest to goodness angst and fluff.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


End file.
